Firms submit plans for Port of Charleston’s Passenger Terminal

Charleston, SC – The effort to improve and enhance the Port of Charleston’s Passenger Terminal is advancing as six urban planning firms have submitted proposals to update a portion of the master plan for the terminal and the surrounding area.

The South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) is seeking to upgrade the Passenger Terminal to more effectively meet new security requirements, as well as to better serve the market needs of its cruise customers. To this end, the SCSPA and the City of Charleston have launched a collaborative effort and are working closely on the project.

On June 16, the SCSPA requested proposals from recognized planning and urban design firms that are familiar with and have worked within the City of Charleston. Seven firms were asked to bid on updating a portion of the 1996 master plan that covers about nine acres in downtown Charleston around the Passenger Terminal.

The SCSPA and the City will jointly evaluate and select the winning firm in the coming weeks and will work with the firm and the community to update the plan by early 2010. With the updated plan in hand, the SCSPA will seek development partners interested in portions or all of the nine acres. This private-sector development will help fund improvements and upgrades to the Passenger Terminal.

The existing Passenger Terminal was built in 1971 and has served Charleston’s cruise business well over the years. However, post-9/11 federal security requirements have introduced new facility requirements, while ship sizes have increased and passengers have greater expectations for cruise facilities.

Importantly, the project supports the SCSPA’s core mission of developing new maritime business.